The Origins of the Rapture

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The Rapture: The belief that Jesus will remove all true Christians from the Earth prior to the end of the world and establishment of his kingdom. The belief is mostly found among American Evangelicals and is part of the larger theological framework called Dispensational Premillennialism. But where did this belief come from?

Bibliography:
Daniel Hummel, The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism, 2023
Paul Richard Wilkinson, For Zion's Sake: Christian Zionism and the Role of John Nelson Darby, 2008
Candida Moss and Joel Baden, "1 Thessalonians 4.13-18 in Rabbinic Perspective," New Test. STud. 58, pp. 199-212.

00:00 Intro
3:29 Scriptural basis?
9:59 Possible hints from antiquity
15:43 John Nelson Darby to Scofield
22:19 The Rise of Prophecy Fiction
24:15 The Fall of Dispensationalism?

Select footage and images courtesy of Getty